Rise of Asia most imp devp of 21st century: PM

New Delhi, Jun 28: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the most important development of the 21st century will be the rise of Asia on the global political and economic arena. There was no doubt that the rise of Asian economies would alter the global balance of wealth and power. However, this need not worry the West. A dynamic and prosperous Asia could power global growth and provide new opportunities for growth of the world economy, he said releasing a book 'The New Asian Power Dynamic' at his residence last evening.

''But power comes with responsibility. Asia must learn to deal with this new opportunity. There is a need for cooperative and consultative institutions and mechanisms to deal with the changing dynamics, as also better understanding of each other, both at the level of State and the civil society.'' The first step towards orderly progress of Asia should, therefore, be an informed understanding of each other, the Prime Minister said, adding that there was also a need for a new attitude towards each other to enable mutual comprehension of concerns and priorities of all.

''Asians often look at each other through borrowed eyes, through tinted glasses and distorted mirrors. This must change, in particular India needs to devote more time and resources in studying the strongest economies of Asia, China, Japan and South Korea.'' The government had re-activated the Indian Council of World Affairs and also offered support to other think tanks to invest in the study of Asia, Africa and our neighbourhood, Dr Singh said.

Minister of Panchayat Raj and Youth Affairs and Sports Mani Shankar Iyer, Former Uttar Pradesh Governor and Foreign Secretary Romesh Bhandari, National Security Advisory Board Chairman M K Rasgotra and former National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra were prominent among those present at the occasion.

The book examined the unfolding relationships among the five great powers, China, India, Japan, Russia and the US. It explored recent bilateral relations between these states.

While the central theme was how China, a rising power, and the US, the sole superpower, would deal with each other, their polices and interactions with the other three powers who would play significant roles in defining peace and stability in Asia.

UNI